The 2022/23 Singapore Pokemon TCG season ended with a major 206-player tournament, and Dionsius Lee stood tall at the top with Fusion Strike Mew VMAX. And talk about homeground advantage – the 23-year-old studies at Singapore Management University, where the tournament was being held. And it was only his second major Pokemon TCG tournament!
We speak to the new champ about how he got into the game, how he fared in his first major local tournament, and his championship run. Good luck to Dion at the World Championships, as he earned the coveted Day 2 spot representing Singapore.
Tell us a little more about yourself.
I am currently a university student who also enjoys playing card games. Although I am new to the Pokémon tcg scene, I have been playing card games since I was about 12 years old. I have played Yu-Gi-Oh!, Cardfight Vanguard, Duel Masters, Magic the Gathering (primarily Commander format & Modern format), Weiss Schwarz, Force of Will, Flesh and Blood (Commoner), Hearthstone, and Shadowverse.
How does it feel to be crowned the Pokemon TCG Singapore champion?
It was a really surprising and happy occasion for me, especially as I felt that all my competitors had far more experience than me in Pokémon TCG. I was really stressed when I made it to Day 2, and I am just glad that I was able to be crowned champion for the event.
how did you get into the Pokemon TCG?
I have a close friend who buys and collects Pokémon cards for a really long while ago, but never ever got into playing the game. One day, she asked if I would like to join her to play the Pokémon TCG. As a newcomer to the game, I bought the Mew VMAX League Battle Deck as my first Pokemon deck, and that’s how everything started.
When did you start playing Pokémon TCG competitively?
I vaguely remember buying my Mew VMAX League Battle Deck sometime at the end of 2022. However I did not have many opportunities to play and practice my deck. I was stuck with Pokémon TCG Live as the only way to play the game. It was only around after the Singapore Pokémon TCG Regional Leage 2023 in May that I decided to practice playing, getting to know the matchups and the meta.
Are the skills you learnt playing other card games transferable to Pokémon?
The main skills I felt was transferable was always to think ahead and plan what would you do in your upcoming turn, as compared to just looking and playing what is in your hand. Additionally, knowing what is the best play your opponent’s deck can make during their turn and trying your best to see what you can do to prevent that.
Let’s talk about Championships Singapore 2023. What made you decide to go with Fusion Energy Mew VMAX?
I had only owned two decks, which was Lost Zone Giratina VSTAR and Fusion Strike Mew VMAX. I initially brought Lost Zone Giratina VSTAR into the Pokemon Regionals League, but played really badly, getting only 1 win and losing all my other games. As I felt the Lost Zone decks were a little too complex for me, I decided to go back to Fusion Strike Mew VMAX as my deck of choice.
Could you briefly talk us through your tournament run? Were there any memorable moments or matches during the tournament that stood out to you?
For Day 1 of the tournament, I went 6 wins and 2 loses, losing on my 4th & 7th round to Edmund Khoo and Kashvinder Singh Mann. I believe it was due to my opponent’s standings that I manageed to make it to top 16 as the 9th ranked player in Day 1. I think I mentioned it too in @TopDeckBoss’s video, my most memorable moment was during the 3rd round against Lost Box Kyogre. My opponent managed to empty his deck and showed me two Energy Recycler and two Mirage Gate. But I realised that he was missing one Energy card in order to take the 5 Prize Knock Out turn.
What do you think of Fusion Mew VMAX with Paldea Evolved legal heading into the World Championships? Do you have other decks in consideration for this biggest tournament of the year?
I think Fusion Strike Mew VMAX with Paldea Evolved will change a little with the inclusion of Iono and Eiscue in order to hit crucial targets on the Bench. Spiritomb would also be a tech card against Mew VMAX, although I am still unsure if Spiritomb will cause more trouble to Mew VMAX than Drapion V. As I am inexperienced with other decks in the metagame, I will be practising and trying out other decks before I finalise on a perfect 60 for the World Championships. Decks that I am considering apart from Mew VMAX would be Gardevoir ex, Lost Zone Giratina VSTAR or Turbo Lost Box.
The Southern Islands 